Crystal Meditation 2

This is a meditative track which suits putting on repeat on fairly low volume while working. For example. Seems I played it about 48 times at work today and I didn't suffer seseseverely ef ef ef from it ;-) I thought I was going to start on a song for the upcoming Space Challenge but it took another turn and I thought I'd post it for you guys who might care to listen.

For the LIOLI 9 challenge back in 2009 I made another meditative piece with just about one C note and the software synth Crystal. This is the sequel, so to speak. There are a few more notes in this but again I was happy to be able to install Crystal on my new iMac and found a couple of nice sounds to start off with. Added a couple of GB software sounds and it was about finished. This Saturday I also got my new sound card, the Roland Quad-Capture UA-55, and now I can listen on "real" speakers (monitors) again! I wanted to celebrate that as well, so here is the new song tested on a couple of set ups - if not the car yet...

Oh yes, a final inspiration was Vangelis' album El Greco, which I listened to recently and which I think this sounds like a little.

The song art is a nice "crystal" ball from a wonderful garden called Arboretum in Ellerhoop, north west of Hamburg, Germany, which we visited this summer. If you like flowers and color, that's where to go..!

Crystal Meditation
Amazingly good, Henke! I think it's got to be my favourite of yours. A very fine download. Could easily have been longer, and some more bass wouldn't hurt (but both are easy to fix with a repeat-button and some boost on the hifi-system).

Wow, thanks
I'm glad you think I got it (almost) right this time. I had some problems with getting the EQ right. It wanted to sound rather muddy with all these tracks playing pretty much the same thing and with lots! of reverb. I think I added some bass in the final version, but maybe not enough.

I'll be sure to get something going for the space challenge. With Crystal and possibly Zebra I think I will have the sounds that I need for some trippy stuff. I do miss some software synths from the Logic Studio installation, though. Hope to get the upgrade by the bye. Maybe for Christmas or something...

Thanks again for listening so professionally and commenting on my "beginner again" tracks..!

Thanks, Scotty
This time I didn't get the 100 odd presets I had on my old computer but I got some other libraries with nice effects to play with. I don't really know what I am doing, just pressing buttons and turning knobs to see what will happen to the sounds generated. The fun part is when sounds start living their own lives, develop and grow. Anything can happen!

Did you use it in any uploaded songs yourself? Could you hint me in the right direction in that case, please?

Top 30 ;-)
It's not too bad I guess, but very simple in composition. More or less the same simple notes played over and over in 6 tracks. That's all. The problem was choosing the right instruments/sounds (from my presently diminutive library) and make them work together. I was thinking of your words "play loud" when uploading this - because this can be played rather silently without loosing much of its charm, I think...

Thanks for taking a few minutes off your own composing to come and listen and comment, always much appreciated!

Thanks, Eduard
Actually, that is how I see it. Practice for "The Race". I have a vague idea for that piece, just remains to make it work in GB... Anyway, glad you think this meditative piece worked for you (even if it doesn't pay your bills ;-)

The sound card does seem to work nicely. It doesn't have separate volume controls for speakers/headphones like the old one had and it seems to take over the volume handling from the keyboard's volume buttons to some extent and I haven't gotten around to try connecting a microphone yet, but it uses USB power so I am rid of one more electrical chord(?) from the desktop clutter, and I can listen to music through the "big" speakers again, yay :-)

Crystal Meditation 2
I like the sound of that Crystal Synth, and this whole piece, which is very relaxing and meditative. Except its too short (I see why you played it so many times) This would be great to work to - much enjoyed - thank you for sharing!
Sig

Thank you, Sig
I guess most sounds I get out of Crystal isn't that relaxing in themselves. The sounds often has some will of their own which, however, make things "interesting". Most notes in this piece are several bars long - that's the main reason for this 120 bpm song to be so meditative I think. One fun aspect (for me anyway) is that it sounds alright at different volumes. As background music while working but also in "forte" on headphones where you can try to find some of all the overtones and stuff coming from those Crystal sounds.

Dreamy
Mediatative, as you indicated, and like Tangerine Dream and possibly Sigur Ros in its repetitive simplicity. Thank you for sharing, and alerting us to the Crystal synth. I started downloading it after a few seconds of your tune.

Big thanks
For mentioning Sigur Ros. I haven't heard them before but went over to YouTube and saw and listened to some beautiful stuff. Really! I even had to buy an album from iTunes - downloading right now :-) And even if this can't compare to their music in class I see what you mean, it's rather minimalistic and slow etc. For once I don't hear TD in this, but maybe something from an album I haven't heard (yet). Thanks again very much for listening and commenting so nicely!

Thanks you Paul
Always nice to have you around to listen to my little pieces. Glad you liked this one. Now I only need to start a new SRC project file and I hope to be able to fill it with something nice...

Such lovely taste in music you have ;-)
Along with Tangerine Dream, Vangelis has been my absolute favorite since my late teens or something. He is more emotional in his mixes than TD, has more variation and more dynamics.

BTW, I had to listen to your latest, The Lady of Light, again. It's pretty awesome. Also made me wondering what's happening with Photosynthesis...? Good luck with it - but take your time, no hurry.

Oh dear
That sounds nice :-) After that maybe you'd want to start working on something new for the Space Race Challenge? Love your cinematic pieces for those fantasy/sci-fi novels. Rama for example may very well be a part of my entry this year. We'll see...

Like flying through slowly billowing clouds at dusk
Classic Henke - a gorgeous development to nowhere in particular, just as it should be. It's amazing how much detail there is in this piece . Lovely ambient. It's going straight to iTunes...

Thank you Doug
I like that comment: "gorgeous development to nowhere in particular" :-) Also the image in the "title". Also thanks for downloading, that's always sweet music to my ears :-)

I listened to your contribution to last year's space race at work today, I remember it almost made me cry when I heard it the first time and read the background story... Let's see if we can do something as good this year, shall we..?

I had to do a double take
when I saw the title and initially misread it as "Crystal MediCation 2" and went "How do you a tune about Crystal Meth......and then I had another look and the world came back into focus....'Tis a restful piece ,I will try it out in the auto next time I go to work....nice job and some great production ....thanks

Headphones, yes
I make most of my music with headphones on, even if I can listen on speakers now as well - my family doesn't care too much about my kind of music :-| I notice that some minor but maybe still important sounds doesn't come through very well on speakers. That sure happened on my previous song, Summer 11. Anyway, glad you liked this, and thanks for commenting :-)

perfect
Sat down to work and was looking for a track to listen to! Perfect.

This song inspires tremendous beauty and poise. Has an uplifting feel to it, like a weightless sailboat traveling between clouds to unknown destinations. Has an open feel to it and the chords move with just the right tempo to keep the energy. Really enjoying this one!

Yes, it IS good to work to
I listened like 50 times in one day at work earlier last week. It was not until the day after that I started to get just a little distressed when it was starting over again ;-) One good thing with that was that I could start on a new project, for the Space Race Challenge. And just now I think that may be finished - yay! I only have to do some speaker tests to check for EQ issues etc.

Anyway, I like your imagery for the piece. Hope that you could get some work done too ;-)

I am really happy you came by to listen and comment, since you are one of my musical "heroes" here at MJ... Big thanks!

Thank you, Vic
I was a bit anxious if the vocals would work - it's more or less standard "mixed choir" in GB, but I tried to separate the higher notes (female) to the left and the darker (male) notes to the right, and maybe that helped. Sometimes it IS rather nice to listen to stuff like this, but you have to let loose with some heavier stuff in between ;-)

Crystal
I am always a little suspicious about meditative and new age music as many musicians tend to rely just on the stereotipical use of nice pads with simple melodies. It is true that all this belongs to that genre but without the presence of some deeper awareness such music is quite empty. So I am really happy and mostly spiritually refreshed by your work which does not lack any of those uplifting feelings.
More pls!
Cheers
Honza

I can appreciate
what your saying, some songs like that do echo rather empty. I am glad you found some meaning in this however. More, you say? Well I have something in the works, but I am not sure it will be up to your standards this time ;-) We'll see...

Thanks a lot for listening and commenting. I had to go listen to your "Unbound" again, it's so very beautiful - a pity not more people have found it yet.

Crystal Meditation 2
Very pretty. I'm not going to meditate to it, but I will listen actively instead. I hope you don't mind. You've managed to bring Crystal under control, and found some very nice ambient sounds. Well done, and much enjoyed.

One Christmas I bought a Casio CTK-611 with midi capabilities. I played on it as I had played the piano back home. But it took a few more years until at last I got hold of a copy of Apples Soundtrack, again right before Christmas. I assembled a few s... [see more]

Ambient music is a loosely defined musical genre that incorporates elements of a number of different styles - including jazz, electronic music, new age, rock and roll, modern classical music, reggae, traditional, world and even noise.